Soybean Prices Rise, Tofu Producers in Serang Forced to Increase Prices

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SERANG – Tofu producers in the Banjaragung area of Serang City, Banten, have been forced to increase their selling prices due to skyrocketing production costs triggered by the rise in soybean and clear packaging plastic prices.

Nuraeni, one of the tofu factory owners in Banjaragung, Serang City, on Thursday (2/4/2026), revealed that the current soybean price has reached Rp 10,500 per kilogram, a significant increase from the previous price of around Rp 8,000 per kilogram.

“The impact on turnover is very noticeable. Since production costs no longer match, we have no choice but to raise the selling price from Rp 17,500 per tray to Rp 19,000 rather than reducing the tofu size,” she said.

According to her, maintaining stable tofu size is a strategy to preserve customer trust, even though the price increase has drawn protests from buyers who hope prices will return to normal.

In addition to soybeans, the burden on producers is heavier with the surge in clear packaging plastic prices. Nuraeni mentioned that the plastic price per bundle has risen to Rp 20,000 to Rp 25,000 from below Rp 50,000 previously.

“This plastic price increase feels even worse. It is a risk we must bear to keep daily production running,” she stated.

Nuraeni’s factory processes around 150 kilograms of soybeans per day. Although current demand is considered stable due to post-Eid momentum, she is concerned about a potential drop in purchasing power in the middle of next month.

Tofu producers in Serang City hope the government will soon take concrete steps to stabilise raw material prices in the market so that small businesses like the tofu industry can continue to survive.

“Our hope is that prices can stabilise again. They don’t need to drop drastically to the original price; the important thing is that they don’t keep creeping up,” she hoped.